Artificial tooth



R. A. DE ROME.

ARTIHCIAL TOOTH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1921.

Patented Jan. 10, 1922..-

LQQBQQK RAPHAEL 5. DE RGME, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ARTIFIGIAL TOOTH.

incense.

application filed. February 21, 1821.

To (ZZZ wk 0m it may concern lBe it known that T, RAPHAEL 51. De ROME, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, Cook County, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Artificial Teeth, of which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to artificial teeth and its principal object is to provide an artificial tooth in which a protected facing may be readily removed from the backing, in case of breakage or other injury to the facing. Theljpresent[invention is particularly applicable to bridge work and to individual teeth, and provides for the protection of the incisal or biting edge of the tooth facing, while permitting of the removal of a broken or injured facing and the replacement thereof with a whole one, without the necessity of removing the bridge or backing from the mouth.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter described and more particularly defined in the claim.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical, cross-section through the assembled facing and backing of an artificial tooth, embodying a simple form of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same; Fig. 3 is a front view of the backing; Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the facing and backing assembled, and showing the facing partly broken away; Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssection through the facing, backing and cusp of an artificial molar tooth, embodying the invention; Fig. 6 is a rear view of the parts seen in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the facing seen in Fig. 5.

Referring to said drawing and first to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the reference character 11 designates the facing and 12 the backing of an artificial tooth embodying a simple form of the present invention applied to an incisor tooth. The facing may be constructed of porcelain or any of the other well known materials used in the manufacture of tooth facings, and its lingual or rear face 13 is preferably made flat or substantially fiat. The rear face of the end 1 1 of the facing slopes or inclines away from the rear face 13, and intermediate the top and bottom of the facing, a socket or recess Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented J an. it), 18922.

Serial No. 446,894.

15 is formed in its back portion, which in clines away from the face 13 at the same angle as the inclined face of the end 14, or at a slightly greater angle with said face 13.

The backing 12 is preferably in the form of a plate or sheet of thin precious metal, such as gold, and it has a flat or substantially fiat portion 17 conforming to the flat or substantially fiat face 13 of the facing 11, and an inclined portion 18 which coincides with and fits against the inclined face of the end 1 1 of the facing, overlapping or protruding beyond its extreme edge 19. Said backing 12 is formed with or provided with a tongue or lug 20, preferably of less width than the width of the backing, which tongue or lug is also inclined with respect to the portion 17 at substantially the same angle as the angle of the socket 15 and said tongue or lug 20 is arranged to enter said socket 15 and be confined therein when the parts are secured together. The facing and backing are secured together when assembled, by cement 16, as is customary.

The backing may be shaped originally to conform to the shape or contour of the tooth with which it is used, or the backings may be made rectangular in form, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and trimmed down to the exact shape of the facing, by the dentist when assembling and constructing the tooth. When used for a single tooth, the backing 12 may be attached to a post, ring or other fastening means as is well understood by those skilled in this art, and the facing is placed on the backing and cemented thereto. When the device is used in bridge work, the adjacent backings are fitted and. secured together in. accordance with the usual and customary practice and prepared for attachment to the teeth that support the bridge work. The facings are then cemented to the backings. In each case the inclined end portion of the backing projects beyond the biting edge of the tooth and is trimmed down by grinding or otherwise to leave an edge portion projecting beyond the edge of the facing, thereby protecting it from injury when the tooth is brought into contact with any object. The inclined end portion 18 overhangs the end of the tooth and protects it against injury.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the porcelain facing 11 and backing 12 are used in connection with a cusp 21 to form an v artificial molar tooth. In this case the cusp is made of a shell of gold or other suitable metal soldered or otherwise secured to the inclined end portion 18 of the backing 12.

The body portion of the artificial tooth is completed in the usual and customary manner by filling in the space between the cusp 21 and backing 12 and adding the anchoring or attaching means that fasten it in place in the mouth, or several molars may be joined to form a bridge work as in the form here tofore described.

From the above it is apparent that the biting edge portion of the artificial teeth are protected by the metal backing which projects along the inclined face of the end of the facing, and that the facing may be readily removed from the backing, in case of breakage or other injury, without disconnecting the backing from its place of support in the mouth. The tongue or lug provides a solid support for the facing, and because of itssubstantially parallel relationship with the inclined end face the facing may be readilyslipped upon it or removed therefrom.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

An artificial tooth structure comprising a facing and a metal backing adapted to interlock; the facing having its incisal. end inclining forwardly and downwardly from the lingual side of the facing, and a forwardly and upwardly inclined comparatively broad recess in the body of the facing extending RAPHAEL A. DE ROME. 

